1. Program Design

1.1 The philosophy of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is gifted students possess unique characteristics, and it is the mission of the district to provide them with educational experiences that promote and support their maximum intellectual, artistic, social, and emotional development. The GATE program is designed to meet the needs of those students who demonstrate exceptional intellectual capability, are identified as gifted and/or exceed grade level expectations. Through differentiated instruction, GATE students have equal access to the core curriculum and opportunities to not only meet, but to exceed grade level standards.

Program goals are: To develop a coordinated, well-defined district program that provides all GATE students with differentiated learning experiences that are challenging and self-generating, emphasizing higher level thinking skills including problem-solving and critical analysis, as well as leadership, improved communication and time management skills;

• To provide opportunities for developing social interaction skills and to enhance students' integration in socially diverse populations;
  
  
• To provide for effective parent education, participation and program planning;
  
  
• To provide program evaluation for effective accountability and decision-making. The District GATE Plan, as approved by the local School Board, is accessible to parents and the community on the District web site, and in document form, in both Spanish and English.

An assessment of the resources available to the staff, parents and community at each site provides the basis of the plan for services offered to gifted students. Allocation of funds is based on the average daily attendance. The budget is developed, reviewed and adopted by the site governance council.

GATE Parent/Teacher Committee supports the ongoing needs of the GATE program and is involved in designing and evaluating the program. The Committee has representation from all of the schools and consists of administrators, the GATE coordinator, teachers and parents. The Committee meets three times a year and, when writing the plan or a new survey, ad hoc committees may meet an additional two to five times. The Committee as a whole reviews and makes suggestions for the GATE Plan.

1.2. Administrative structures appropriate for gifted education are available to all GATE-identified students. Structures include differentiated instruction in regular classrooms or clusters. All GATE students have the opportunity to participate in the GATE program at their neighborhood schools.

The program for gifted students is an integral part of the school day. GATE students are provided differentiated curriculum, instruction and assignments in the regular classroom, or in part-time groupings.

The program, through differentiation of curriculum and instruction, ensures continuous progress. Throughout the instructional day, students experience intellectual peer interaction through cooperative learning experiences and opportunities for exchange of ideas. The program, in all settings, provides for flexible grouping in the classroom to meet student needs and abilities. Teachers' assessment of student mastery of core curriculum skills and knowledge guides the fluid structure of the classroom.

Although students are not formally identified until the end of third grade, K-3 students are served in the regular classroom in the belief that giftedness needs to be nurtured in all students.

1.3. The program is articulated with general education. State and district standards as well as district student progress reporting systems provide the common basis for consistency in instruction within the gifted program and with the general education program. Common core curriculum materials support this articulation. As classroom teachers meet for articulation purposes, they are encouraged to exchange practices that challenge and extend GATE students.

Teachers regularly access community agencies as resources for student projects and school programs. Parents are a vital source of experience, knowledge and support in the classrooms. The district coordinator, who has experience in and knowledge of gifted education, oversees the entire GATE program, and works very closely with staff from Educational Services to assure the integration of the needs of gifted students in general education staff development offered in the district.

2. Administrative Structures

2.1. The nomination/referral process is ongoing and includes students in grades 4-11 with monitoring of potentially gifted students in K-3. All children are eligible to be nominated regardless of socioeconomic, linguistic or cultural background, and/or disabilities. Consequently identification and qualification criteria that accommodate linguistic and or cultural factors are implemented. The nomination/referral process for GATE identification occurs on an annual basis.

Teachers refer students via a district Screening and Nomination form which includes a Learning/Behavior Characteristics Rating, an Environmental/Other Factors Rating and a comments section. Annually, teachers and counselors of grades four through eleven receive a nomination packet that includes extensive and explicit directions for the nomination process. Training in the identification process, specifically appropriate for administrators, teachers, and support personnel, is provided to ensure that all potential GATE students are nominated.

Students may be nominated for participation more than once and may be nominated on an annual basis. The District maintains data on nominees.

2.2. An assessment/identification process is in place to ensure that potentially gifted students are appropriately assessed for identification as gifted students.

The District has established and implements traditional and nontraditional modes of searching for gifted students. The District keeps apprised of current research to improve identification in a concerted effort to make the GATE population more reflective of the demographics of the District, and actively seeks referrals among underrepresented populations. District identification criteria are multiple and designed to seek out and identify students from every linguistic, socioeconomic and cultural background represented in the District, and include the following categories:

• Intellectual Ability: Classroom teacher (current or previous year) recommendation; a performance level of five on the California Standards Test (CST) in English Language Arts ( scale score 490 - 600), and Mathematics ( scale score 564-600) for two years.
  
  
• High Achievement: Classroom teacher (current or previous year) recommendation; a performance level of 395- 489) on the California Standards Test (CST) in both English Language Arts and Mathematics for two or more consecutive years.
  
  
• Specific Academic: Classroom teacher (current or previous year) recommendation; a performance level of (490-600) on the California Standards Test (CST) in English Language Arts OR (564 - 600) in Math. Students must demonstrate outstanding school performance (in at least the top ten percent of their class) for the two most recent years as noted on report cards, school transcripts, or other school records in the specific academic area under consideration.
  
  
• Fine and Performing Arts: Student is recommended by an instructor or practitioner knowledgeable in the area of the arts in which the student excels. Student demonstrates extraordinary talent as exhibited by performance or portfolio, and evaluated by a panel of experts in the field.
  
  
• Cultural/Economic/Linguistic: In an effort to increase the percentage of underrepresented students in the GATE learning experience, site administrators, in collaboration with teachers, select high-performing underrepresented students for participation on an annual basis. Based on the concept that outstanding talents are present in students from all cultural, economic, and/or linguistic groups, determination is made by the teacher and site administrator that there is a discrepancy between ability and performance on tests that is attributable to cultural, economic, or linguistic factors. Report cards and other data sources are used in the determination.

The district notifies principals of students' eligibility for placement in the program. Principals, in turn, notify teachers. The teachers use the list of eligible students as the basis for generating GATE referrals. Parents are notified by letter of their child's eligibility for the program within two weeks of final determination. They are given information regarding the district appeal process at the beginning of each school year with test results.

Transfer students are considered in a timely manner for identification and placement. The district accepts identification from another district if the student previously has participated in a program; these students are placed in a GATE program shortly following enrollment.

2.3. Parents are provided information and orientation about student placement and participation options to ensure that student needs are met. With the notification of GATE identification of their child, parents receive a packet describing the GATE program. The packet includes a form for the parent to sign granting permission for program participation. Signed parent permission is kept on file at the district central offices. Upon parent request, the district provides identification information that the parent may take to a new school or district.

Participation in the program is based on the criteria of identification and is not dependent on the perception of a single teacher. Once identified, a student remains identified as a gifted student in the district.

3: Curriculum and Instruction

3.1. Each school site develops a plan for gifted education that is refined to reflect the unique characteristics of the school community while meeting the needs, interests and abilities of gifted students. The plan conforms to State standards and guidelines, district policy and the district general plan. Each school plan specifies how the core curriculum will be differentiated for GATE students, as well as site based enrichment activities.

Although the GATE program does not officially identify students until grade 4, the district recognizes the fact that there are students in grades K-3 whose achievement levels indicate the potential for giftedness. Services for these students are implemented in the regular classroom by the classroom teachers. For students demonstrating mastery of grade level standards at an accelerated rate, the teacher may use a variety of strategies such as:

• a projects approach, i.e., study of a topic in depth and
  
  
• opportunities for the students to choose independent, in-class activities including logic games or open-ended exploration.

The focus is on the quality of conceptual development and not on the quantity of work produced.

In grades 4 and 5, the program may be delivered in a cluster in the regular classroom, or partially through a grouping format outside of the regular classroom. The core curriculum is differentiated to provide the depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration required by students who exceed State performance standards for mastery of the core curriculum. This may be accomplished by compacting the regular curriculum, thus creating time for students to expand ideas in the content areas or to explore areas of interest. Highly capable students are pre-assessed to eliminate needless instruction about what they already know and instruction of what is not known is accelerated. This allows time for the generation of products commensurate with the students' abilities and interests that may expand and elaborate ideas within or beyond grade level content areas. The sites are cognizant of the need for articulation of the program across grade levels and provide a logical, appropriate progression of course content, skills and student products.

The design of the program allows the students to experience various methods of instruction and learning including discussion and debate where ideas can be tested and refined, and individual, self-directed learning through which students can develop a spirit of inquiry leading to a lifetime of learning and exploring ideas. Throughout the program, students are afforded the opportunity to develop self-awareness and a positive self-concept as well as empathy and concern for others. Working collaboratively with others of varying ability levels also builds the concept of one's responsibility to society. GATE students also participate in site and District sponsored enrichment activities that deepen and extend their learning outside of the classroom.

Elementary students identified as gifted in music, may participate in the elementary honor orchestra, where they have the opportunity to play more complex works and perform in the district's annual Stairway to the Stars concerts.

GATE students in grades 6- 8, participate in accelerated math classes and receive differentiated instruction in other content areas, particularly Language Arts/ Humanities. In these classes instruction is differentiated to provide the depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration that gifted students require.

Students in grades 9-12 have access to a wide variety of honors and advanced placement classes designed to challenge them intellectually. Among the honors classes offered in district high schools are: English 9 and 10, Algebra, Geometry, Intermediate Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Physical Science, Chemistry, Biology, Marine Biology, French, Japanese, and Political Science. Advanced Placement courses offered include: AP Studio Art, Art History, English, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Psychology, Statistics, US History, Government, Economics, Geometry, Intermediate Algebra, AB Calculus, BC Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Additionally, students who qualify may avail themselves of special arrangements that the district has with Pepperdine University and Santa Monica Community College, both of which are in the District's attendance area. Through this arrangement students may participate in some classes offered at the college campuses while still enrolled in the school district.

The district offers at all middle and high school sites advanced vocal groups, and instrumental bands and orchestras, for students who are musically gifted. These performing groups allow students to study and perform extremely complicated and challenging pieces, as well as extend their understanding of music theory and composition.

3.2. The differentiated curriculum is accessed by gifted students through appropriate structures and resources. The program for gifted students is a regular, integral part of the entire school experience of the student. Providing for learning and instruction in a variety of settings such as teacher or student directed instruction in large, small, homogeneous or heterogeneous groups and independent study is recognized as essential. The teacher may employ instructional techniques such as tiered assignments, interest grouping, skill-level grouping, or grouping by learning style preference depending on the makeup of the class or need based on the program design.

Learning is encouraged and enhanced through student access to instructional tools necessary for successful intellectual pursuit. The school library/media center and resources secured with GATE funding provide printed and non-printed materials offering more breadth and depth to areas of study for the gifted learner. The differentiated curriculum is supported by the use of technology including Hyperstudio, PowerPoint, word-processing, the Internet etc.

4: Social and Emotional Development

4.1. Teachers, counselors, parents, and administrators receive information and training about the characteristics and the related social and emotional development of gifted learners. The district is committed to addressing this aspect of giftedness each year in a variety of ways in an ongoing effort to increase awareness and skills of all school professionals and parents associated with the education and social and emotional development of gifted children. The California Association for the Gifted is a continuing source of information and resources through their publications and training opportunities. As funds permit, teachers and parents attend conferences and workshops sponsored by CAG. The district communicates about programs offered by Professional Advocates for Gifted Education (PAGE) which may address the topic at its monthly meetings and frequently sponsors speakers on the subject. The district makes an effort to arrange one major parent/teacher event each year that addresses the topic, and it informs teachers and parents, through newsletters and other announcements, about meetings where pertinent topics are discussed. A district GATE library contains relevant titles for students, parents and teachers.

Gifted students are provided career and college information and support as they develop their unique strengths and interests. Parental and community resources are used to enhance students' knowledge of career opportunities.

4.2. Teachers are trained to recognize symptoms of at-risk behavior in gifted students and to refer them to appropriate school personnel. As part of the ongoing educational program, teachers and parents receive training regarding appropriate responses and interventions to at-risk behavior. The District recognizes the importance of teacher training concerning the emotional and social development of the gifted.

Counselors and administrators make referrals to internal or community-based organizations with which the District contracts, as needed. Teachers, parents and counselors work together to implement intervention strategies that may involve the home and the school.

Gifted students considered at-risk and/or under-achieving are not dropped from gifted programs because of related problems. They receive the same counseling and support services as general education at-risk students.

5: Professional Development

5.1. The District provides professional development opportunities related to gifted learners based on an annual needs assessment survey. Specifically, the survey asks teachers to respond to needs regarding identifying characteristics of gifted learners, meeting the social/emotional needs of gifted students, and differentiating instruction including professional development for teachers on classroom activities that are open-ended and independent.

The District has a focus for each year's GATE professional development based on expressed needs of teachers, administrators and parents. The 2004-2005 foci, based on '04 fall survey results, will be one or more of the following: differentiating instruction, the social and emotional development of gifted learners, recognizing characteristics of giftedness, and/or the District GATE identification policy.

Professional development needs of staff will be met in the following ways as budget permits and sites decide:

• Participation in local GATE workshops sponsored by PAGE, as budget permits;
  
  
• Review/discussion of videos on GATE from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD);
  
  
• Attendance at District after-school articulation meetings (at least two per year) by teachers on a voluntary basis for collegial support;
  
  
• Attendance of the CAG conference by teachers of GATE students and site administrators to prepare teachers to differentiate curriculum for gifted and talented pupils and to improve knowledge of GATE identification;
  
  
• Purchase of GATE publication/resources each year with District GATE funds to expand the District GATE resource library.

Following each workshop and at the end of the school year, an evaluation of professional development opportunities is conducted to determine effectiveness. The results, in combination with the annual needs assessment, are used to make decisions for future professional development opportunities.

Individuals selected to conduct in-service for teachers of gifted students have recognized knowledge or expertise in the area of gifted education. The district promotes the concept of teacher-to-teacher professional development in addition to contracting experts to conduct in-services. This includes applying the training-of-trainers model of in-service.

5.2 District personnel with direct decision-making and/or instructional responsibilities for gifted students are provided with role specific training to some extent. A concerted effort is made to make teachers and administrators aware of professional development opportunities offered by outside organizations concerned with GATE including, CAG and PAGE.

The District's Director of Student and Family Support Services coordinates the program. The Director has knowledge of gifted instruction and takes advantage of opportunities to update and extend knowledge and skills in order offer effective leadership for the program.

Administrators, support staff, and counselors, as funding permits, participate in professional development offerings designed to relate specifically to their roles and responsibilities in the GATE program. Administrators, counselors, and support staff are encouraged to participate with teachers in the ongoing professional development program related to gifted learners.

6: Parent and Community Involvement

6.1 Each fall, a letter describing the qualifying criteria, identification procedure and the programs for identified GATE students is sent to each family with children in grades 4-11. Translations are provided in a continuing effort to qualify underrepresented populations. Additionally, simultaneous translation is provided for limited English speaking GATE parents at all meetings so that they may have an equal opportunity to participate. Both the district's GATE coordinator, and office support staff are bilingual in Spanish, and easily communicate with Spanish dominant GATE parents. Parents are invited to seek additional information, if needed, from the classroom teacher, school office or District office. The district and schools provide periodic updates about programs offered by the district through district and site GATE Parent/Teacher Committee meetings, site and classroom newsletters and conferences.

Parents are involved in the planning and evaluation of the GATE program. Feedback from an annual program evaluation survey, distributed to all parents whose children are enrolled in the program, provides a gauge of the success of the program and information for change and refinement. The district's state application plan is online, and is also available in document form in English and Spanish to parents and the community upon request.

Progress, achievements and products of gifted students are shared with parents through conferences, newsletters, and special presentations and programs. Parents are encouraged to be active partners with the school in the education of their children. Parents and community members are recruited to share specific talents related to the curriculum as well as to volunteer as helpers in the classrooms. Some sites have ongoing partnerships with business and community organizations.

6.2. Parents participate in the District GATE Parent/Teacher Committee. The Committee meets three times a school year and subcommittees may convene as needed. The Committee is composed of parent and teacher representatives from each school; one kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three district-wide teacher representative; and the District GATE coordinator. Site administrators are encouraged to participate. The meetings are open to all.

The role of this Committee is to encourage dialogue between staff and parents to improve current GATE programs and to make recommendations to program administrators about applications, plans and budgets on an annual basis.

Parents make suggestions of topics for presentations at upcoming meetings. Some meetings include a prepared talk and discussion of current research and issues such as the emotional and social development of the gifted and differentiating instruction. Parents are apprised of current literature in the field, encouraged to use the District GATE library and offered handouts on topics of interest. The District informs parents of conferences and programs offered by the California Association for the Gifted and PAGE. As funds permit, experts in the field are sought out to address all interested parents and staff. Ideas for accommodations to increase representation and participation of underrepresented populations, such as evening meetings, are actively sought and implemented.

7: Program Assessment

7.1. The District provides valid student and GATE program assessments. The Director of Student and Family Support Services, who coordinates the review of the program, is knowledgeable of current GATE philosophy, practice and evaluation. The Director will work in conjunction with the district's Director of Assessment and Professional Development to utilize available data for program evaluation. Consideration is given to suggestions from various sources including teachers, site administrators, parents and the Coordinated Compliance Review Team. A variety of delivery systems operate throughout the district, but monitoring by the site administrator, with input from teachers and parents, ensure that the program's design is sound.

The structure of the learning environment, although somewhat varied from site to site, is designed to meet the needs of gifted students. An emphasis on differentiation of the curriculum as the delivery model is the means through which the needs of gifted students are met regardless of the classroom configuration at the site. Lesson plans, student products, and ongoing formal and informal oral and written assessments are evidence of how well the program is meeting the needs of the students. Portfolios are used to compile evidence of student achievement over time that can be shared with parents and reviewers of the program. Rubrics inform students of what is expected and are effective tools for assessing student products in all disciplines, especially writing and special projects in history/social science and science. Student success informs instruction and adjustments are made throughout the year based on student need.

District and site administrators and teachers review disaggregated GATE student CAT 6 and California Standards Test scores to determine program component effectiveness. Appropriate program modifications are made, as necessary. Special attention is paid to gifted English Learners to ensure that their needs are being met in the gifted programs.

The district and sites are especially responsive to parent satisfaction indicators in making decisions about programs and program revisions. Informal and formal feedback through yearly surveys are important links to families who want to keep the schools informed of their expectations and their child's needs. Results of all program evaluations are available upon request and outcomes influence decisions for the design and content of programs at the sites.